This invention relates to a system and method for analyzing a component and more particularly, to a system and method which automatically determines the performance of a component, such as an air filter, given certain attributes of the component and/or which determines an attribute of a component given certain desired performance criteria of the component.
Computer aided engineering systems, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cCAE systemsxe2x80x9d, are used to design and analyze components, such as automotive air filters. CAE systems typically include a user interface or terminal which operates under stored program control and which selectively allows a user to generate, view and modify a computer model of a component and to determine and/or estimate the performance of the component model.
While the foregoing CAE analysis method is effective to accurately analyze and determine the functionality of various components, such as automotive air filters, it suffers from some drawbacks. For example and without limitation, creating or building a proposed model for a component such as an air filter is generally time consuming and tedious. Additionally, component models must be created and modified repeatedly during the design and development process until a model is generated that meets performance and size requirements. In each case, a user must typically begin the model creation process anew. As a result, each time an alteration or modification is made within the air filter or component, an entirely new model is typically constructed or programmed. This undesirably increases the time and expense required to design and develop complex components such as air filters, thereby decreasing the efficiency and flexibility of the development process. Moreover, prior systems and methods do not provide users with suggestions or estimates as to the appropriate size or shape of an air filter or an air filtration system that would meet certain performance requirements. Hence, a user must often guess as to what modifications will cause the filter to meet the performance requirements. As a result, the time required to achieve a component model that meets performance requirements is undesirably increased.
There is therefore a need to provide a system for analyzing components which overcomes at least some of the various and previously delineated drawbacks of prior systems, and which provides for the relatively simple development and analysis of components.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a system and method for analyzing a component which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior systems.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a system and method for analyzing the functionality of a component given certain attributes of the component and/or for determining an attribute of a component given certain performance requirements for the component.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a system and method for analyzing an air filter which utilizes a CAE model to determine the size of an air filter, based on certain performance requirements of the air filter, and to determine the performance of an air filter, based upon certain attributes of the filter.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for analyzing a component. The system includes a user interface which allows a user to selectively enter performance values corresponding to certain performance parameters of the component and to enter attribute values corresponding to certain attributes of the component; and a computer aided engineering model which includes normalized data which relates the certain performance parameters to the certain attributes of the component, the computer aided engineering model being effective to receive the user entered values, to calculate estimated performance parameters based upon entered attribute values, and to calculate estimated attribute values based upon entered performance values.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for analyzing a component. The method includes the steps of providing a computer system with a user interface; providing a computer aided engineering model including certain normalized component data which is stored within the computer system; inputting certain component attribute values into the computer aided engineering model; and calculating certain performance values based on the inputted certain component attribute values and the certain normalized component data.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for analyzing an air filter is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a computer system with a user interface; providing a computer aided engineering model including certain normalized air filter data which is stored within the computer system; inputting hard rules and equations into the computer aided engineering model; selectively inputting certain air filter attribute values into the computer aided engineering model; calculating air filter performance results based on the inputted certain air filter attribute values and the certain normalized air filter data; selectively inputting certain air filter performance values into the computer aided engineering model; calculating air filter attribute results based on the inputted certain air filter performance values and the certain normalized air filter data; comparing the hard rules and equations to the calculated results; and displaying a warning flag if the comparison determines that any of the calculated results do not satisfy the hard rules and equations.
These and other objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the attached drawings.